Predator
by Balefire1
Summary: In response to a friendly request, Aragorn and Legolas travel to distant Carnuin. Unknown to them, they were invited for a reason – to be players in a madman’s twisted “game”. Now they must rely on their wits – and each other – to survive.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Predator  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Characters: Aragorn and Legolas (not slash!)  
  
Summary: In response to a friendly request, Aragorn and Legolas travel to distant Carnuin. Unknown to them, they were invited for a reason - to be players in a madman's twisted "game". Now they must rely on their wits - and each other - to survive. **pre-quest**  
  
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DISCLAIMER: Okkkk, I don't own the LotR characters, only those I have made up myself. (Why do we have to bother with disclaimers anyway. not like anyone on FFN is bored enough to sue - I hope =Þ )  
  
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Author's Notes:  
  
Ok, here I am again with a second story! My first one, The Bonds That Keep Us, didn't turn out QUITE as I wanted it to, so here's my second attempt! Hehehe, I hope you guys like it!  
  
Also, this is pre-quest and Aragorn will seem a little immature at times. Please keep in mind that he's only 25 in this story! Also, I know Aragorn doesn't receive his coolio sword Anduril until a lot later, but I might or might not use it in this fic. If I do, I'm just changing the story a bit to fit it in to my fic; the right of a fanfiction author, right?? Haha I hope so. Anyways, I'm thinking this will be a few chapters longer than my first fic, so let's pray we all make it out alive eh?? Read on!  
  
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Chapter 1: Gilded  
  
  
  
Soft sunlight filtered in through breaks in the forest canopy. The ancient wood still thrived with old and new life, offering solace it its quiet tranquility. Below the protective branches of the Great Trees, a hackneyed dirt pathway wound its way through the green wilderness like a brown serpent. Lush ferns, shrubs, and various other green things sprung up beside it, spilling over the edges. No one had traveled that old road for countless generations. It was no wonder why the ancient trees and woodland creatures living there whispered bewilderment at the two lone travelers on it.  
  
The two brown geldings plodding along casually on the pathway were remarkably similar, yet their riders were not. One was of slender build, deceptive in his lithe form. His hair was spun gold and hung past his shoulders, held back from his fair face with three thin braids. He carried himself in way that suggested he was of royalty, coinciding with the aura of noble grace he radiated. A bow and a quiver of arrows were strapped to his back alongside twin Elven blades. Always alert, Prince Legolas Greenleaf's blue eyes glinted brightly in the afternoon sunlight as he admired his woodland surroundings while maintaining sparse conversation with his companion. .  
  
Aragorn son of Arathorn, heir of Isildur, was young to bear the burden of such a title. Despite his youth, he was built well for his twenty-five years. His dark hair and storm-gray eyes contrasted sharply with the light colors of his Elven friend. Darker than Legolas, he also appeared more rugged and wild, though not in a derogatory way. He too bore an air of high heritage and grace as he rode straight-backed and balanced on Sillow. The very air around him sang of danger and risk, which made the bow on his back and the sword at his hip all the more imposing. Despite his dark and solitary appearance, the light and casual conversation he kept with Legolas showed he was not so antisocial.  
  
"How long do your father and mine expect us to stay in Carnuin?" inquired Aragorn, snapping Legolas from his sweet daydreams of the woods in his homeland of Mirkwood..  
  
"Not sure - probably a week or two. This "King Hayden" will most likely want to catch up on all the years he hasn't heard from Rivendell and Mirkwood," replied Legolas, his tone unconcerned. Time meant very little to him.  
  
Aragorn shifted his weight a little. "I still think our fathers should have come themselves instead of sending us. Hayden obviously would rather see his old friends than his old friends' sons."  
  
Legolas turned his head to look at his companion. "You know they can't just pick up and leave their kingdoms whenever they want to. They have business to attend to in Rivendell and Mirkwood." He turned his eyes back to the road as a small smile touched his lips. "Besides, you and I need a trip - we've been trapped in Rivendell for months."  
  
"True, but I didn't even know the city of Carnuin existed before my father told us of this trip. I wonder why he never told me there was an Elven city so far off," mused Aragorn.  
  
Suddenly curious, Legolas reached into the bag that hung off his saddle and pulled out a scroll tied with a velvet ribbon. Letting go of the reins completely, the elf unrolled the parchment and read it aloud  
  
  
  
~King Thranduil,  
  
I pray this letter has reached you in timely speed and with no great hassle. My messenger is oftentimes aloof and travels slowly at his own leisurely pace. So how do you fare in Mirkwood? I am aware that it had been many years since I have last spoken with you or Lord Elrond, and that this letter must be very unsuspectied. I was reading transcripts from the old wars and remembered fondly upon the alliance that ran strong between Rivendell, Mirkwood, and my own Carnuin.  
  
I feel that the three of us have let an old friendship fade, and I do not want it to disintegrate any further. It has been long years since we have set eyes upon each other and spoken of the old days. Therefore, I invite you and Elrond to visit Carnuin once the snows are past. It will be a long way for the two of you should you choose to come, but I think it will be most rewarding for all three of us. I pray you consider my invitation, my friend. When spring comes, I will begin my patient waiting. Good day and may the days treat you with favor.  
  
~Your friend, King Hayden of Carnuin  
  
  
  
Aragorn's father had received a very similar message. In a few days time, the two Elven rulers had discussed the trip and decided to send their sons in their place. Both Aragorn and Legolas were eager to get away from home, anyway.  
  
After Legolas read the message out loud, Aragorn responded thoughtfully.  
  
"It's odd though, don't you think?"  
  
"What's odd?"  
  
"Why would this Hayden send for Thranduil and Elrond for a visit, and now of all times?"  
  
Legolas shrugged. "Remember what your father said. Carnuin was an ally of both Mirkwood and Rivendell in the past - perhaps Hayden just wants to renew old ties."  
  
"Yes, but after four thousand years?"  
  
"Good point.."  
  
Their curiosity was left hanging in midair when Legolas drew Fira to a halt and pointed. "Look, Estel, there's it is!"  
  
Tall gray towers could be seen above the treetops, banners flying in the refreshing breeze.  
  
Aragorn smiled with relief. Finally - two months of riding was wearing on his nerves. Smiling the young human gazed at the city walls as they drew nearer and nearer. The architecture, even from a distance, was astonishing, very obviously of Elven make. The banners flying high in the wind were intricate and colorful, they symbols on them representing power and peace. He glanced at Legolas. Even the elf with his dislike of stone things, gazed in awe at the magnificent arches and spirals that rose above the trees . Slowly though, Aragorn saw Legolas' smile of awe changed into a frown of slight confusion.  
  
"Is something wrong, Legolas?" Asked Aragorn, concerned.  
  
"I'm not sure.. . something doesn't seem right." replied Legolas, his eyes focused.  
  
Aragorn turned to look again at the city walls. Now that they were closer and his human eyes had more effect, he understood what Legolas meant. Something seemed wrong. Even at a fair distance, he could see that all was not well. A few towers on the topmost part of the walls had crumbled and broken off, the rubble lying uncared for on the ground. The banners that looked so beautiful from a distance were actually tattered and dirty.  
  
~Strange - why wouldn't King Hayden fix his own walls? And why does he keep ripped banners flying?~  
  
Exchanging odd looks, Aragorn and Legolas approached the gates more slowly. When Aragorn and Legolas were fifty feet away from the gates, they were surprised to see them swing open slowly, groaning with the weight of their movements.  
  
"Well, looks like Hayden has been watching for our coming," said Legolas with a grin.  
  
Aragorn laughed, his wariness abandoned. "Indeed! My, don't we feel special?"  
  
The crumbling towers and tattered banners momentarily forgotten, they passed through the gates of Carnuin, their light laughter in the air.  
  
"I hope there's a feast prepared," grinned Aragorn. "A hungry traveler is a horrible thing."  
  
It was Legolas' turn to laugh. "You're always hungry. You're even worse than Elr -" he stopped in mid-sentence.  
  
What should have been a bustling city full of elves was completely deserted.  
  
Aragorn and Legolas stood there and stared, their senses filled with warning, but the eeriness of it drew them. Without speaking, they dismounted and tied their horses to nearby columns.  
  
"Legolas - I don't understand. What's going on here? Where is everyone?" asked Aragorn, his voice seemed so small in comparison to the giant walls and towers that loomed over them.  
  
"I don't know, Estel. Something is definitely very wrong here," replied Legolas with a frown, his brows furrowed.  
  
The elf and the human walked forward slowly, their eyes scanning for any signs of movement. All they saw were the brown leaves on the cobbled streets whirling in circles, tossed by the wind. There was no sound; not even the bird songs of the nearby forest reached this place. In every wall, unattended cracks appeared and thorned ivy crawled menacingly up the stone. The air was stale, despite the constant breezes that flew by them. Aragorn shivered. The haunting appearance of Carnuin was very unnerving.  
  
"Legolas?" murmered Aragorn, not wishing to raise his voice, even though there was no one in sight.  
  
The blonde archer continued to scan the city. "What?"  
  
"This is strange."  
  
Legolas turned his head to look at his friend and rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you noticed.  
  
Deciding to shut his mouth, Aragorn moved forward a little. He stooped down and brushed his fingers against the cobbled pathway. Looking up at Legolas, he frowned.  
  
"Dust. No one's walked these streets for a long time."  
  
Legolas narrowed his eyes. Even though the city seemed empty, there was something about it that set off the sensors in his head. It seemed.. Evil. He rubbed his arms where sudden goose bumps had appeared.  
  
"I don't see what could possibly make a entire city's populace disappear," he said quietly.  
  
Aragorn stood, wiping the dust from his fingers on his cloak absentmindedly. "This desertion must be recent because we only received the letters from King Hayden two and a half months ago."  
  
The blonde elf shook his head. "If that is so, then how do you explain how bad of shape the city is in? Look at the walls, Aragorn - no one has been here for decades at least."  
  
Aragorn frowned. What Legolas said was true, so then how was it that they were invited to a supposedly grand city that was actually in decay by an Elven King that was not even there?  
  
The wind's chilling fingers twisted around them, making their cloaks dance. The warning in Legolas' heart was growing. Even Fira and Sillow shifted in the corner uneasily.  
  
"Come, Estel, our time here is finished," said Legolas, pulling on his friend's arm gently. "Something here has obviously gone awry, and I don't wish to be here and find out what. I sense danger -" he paused and tilted his head, as if listening. "We should go. Now."  
  
Aragorn nodded, needing no persuasion. "Right. Come on."  
  
However, as they were observing the city, the gates had started to close slowly and silently behind them. Now, as the two friends turned to leave, the gigantic stone gates thudded shut.  
  
"What in the name of--!"  
  
Legolas ran forward and placed his hands on the gates. Aragorn was by his side in a second, his eyes radiating alarm. However hard they tried, though, none of their pushing made the gates budge even an inch.  
  
"Hurry, Legolas, check along the walls near the gates! Maybe there's a lever or something!"  
  
Desperately, they searched, their hands working frantically over the cold and dusty stone. After minutes of futile searching, Legolas gave a sigh of hopelessness and turned to look at Aragorn, who also had given up on finding some sort of device to open the gates. Legolas shook his head. The young ranger gritted his teeth and slammed his hang against the stone. Fire danced in his eyes and he tightened his fist.  
  
"This cannot be happening," he exclaimed, disbelief and irritation spelled out in his words. "We can't possibly be locked in this place!"  
  
Legolas sighed again. "Well, we are. I don't know how the gates just closed - or opened for that matter - by themselves."  
  
"By themselves!?!? They DID NOT move by themselves, Legolas!" grated Aragorn. "I'm thinking this "King Hayden" character is having a little too much fun at our expense!"  
  
Before Legolas could silence him, Aragorn turned towards the center of the city.  
  
"WE DON'T FIND THIS VERY AMUSING, 'MY LORD'", I SUGGEST YOU STOP PLAYING YOUR LITTLE GAME NOW!"  
  
"Estel!" Legolas hissed, pulling Aragorn back by the shoulders. "Don't be an irrational fool; we don't know what's going on here, so let's not jump to conclusions, alright!?"  
  
Aragorn rolled his eyes, annoyed, but lowered his voice, seeing the reason behind Legolas' words.. "Fine, I won't yell anymore, but it's obvious Hayden is fooling around with us. We should go search him out. He has to be in here somewhere."  
  
Legolas furrowed his brows. "I'm not so sure we should. This place is eerie and I don't like it one bit. We should search for another exit. There's got to be one - what city would have only one entrance anyway?"  
  
Aragorn nodded. "Let's go to the right - it seems brighter."  
  
"What about Fira and Sillow?" asked Legolas, glancing at the two geldings who were nuzzling each other fondly.  
  
"It's alright, we'll leave them here for now. We don't know what we might run into. Besides, we shouldn't be gone long anyway," replied Aragorn.  
  
With that, they struck off to the right. Unconsciously, Aragorn kept his right hand on the hilt of his sword. They continued along the wall until, after about ten minutes, they noticed a second wall had gradually grown on their other side until they were enclosed on both their left and right sides with only a narrow space in between. Not suspecting much of it, they continued on. Suddenly, Legolas stopped so abruptly that Aragorn almost ran into him from behind.  
  
Aragorn frowned, giving Legolas a gentle nudge. "What is it? Why have you stopped?"  
  
Legolas stepped aside as much as the small space would allow him. Aragorn's eyebrows rose. Dead-end. The only way to keep going was to either turn back or take a sharp turn to the left.  
  
"That's odd," murmered Legolas softly. "Maybe we should go back."  
  
Aragorn shook his head. "Then this half an hour of walking will have been in vain. Come on, Legolas, even if we take this left, we'll most likely be able to maneuver our way to the outer wall again."  
  
The Prince of Mirkwood hesitated slightly before nodding. "Alright - let's just hope it won't take too long."  
  
He took the lead again and turned left with Aragorn close behind. Soon, they encountered a split in the path.  
  
"See, I told you," reminded Aragorn. "We'll simply take the right and we'll be heading back towards the wall."  
  
Despite the man's confident words, however, Legolas's uneasiness intensified with every passing moment. He felt - strange - like there were eyes on them all the time. To make it worse, he felt suspicion and wariness growing in his mind as he noticed the walls on either side of them gradually grow taller and taller until they couldn't see beyond them. By now, they had taken four right turns and two left. Still, they did not see the outer wall. Legolas hated to admit to it, considering their stupidity was the main cause of it, but he had to.  
  
"Estel, we're lost."  
  
Aragorn sighed and leaned his head against the stone. "I know."  
  
"You know what's even stranger?" asked Legolas, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the walls and the various turns and twists. "This place - we cannot even see over the top of the walls, and there are so many turns that only lead to more turns. Estel.. It's almost like."  
  
  
  
Aragorn's head snapped up. His eyes grew wide in realization. "It's just like.. .."  
  
"-a maze." They finished each others' sentence in unison.  
  
The two friends stared at each other for seemingly hours. Finally, Legolas broke the stunned silence.  
  
"What insanity is this?"  
  
Aragorn could only shake his head in wonderment and alarm. He was desperately trying to withhold the panic that was so threateningly waiting for him in his mind.  
  
The elf squatted and bit his lower lip. "We should turn back and try to find our way out. I don't know how long it will take to get out of here if we keep going forward."  
  
Aragorn nodded. "We should have turned back a long time ago. Well, we cannot change that now. We might as well make the best of it."  
  
Legolas stopped drawing pictures in the gray dirt and stood. "Let's get going then. With hope, we'll find Fira and Sillow again by nightfall."  
  
As they turned back, a soft sound caught Legolas' attention. It was the barest of noises; even he, an elf, would not have heard it had it not been especially silent right then. He couldn't tell where the noise came from, nor what made it. He wasn't even sure he had heard anything at all. The ominous shadow looming in his mind grew stronger.  
  
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"Legolas, we've wandered for at least two hours!" Aragorn threw up his hands in frustration.  
  
"I know, I know! Alright, it doesn't look like we'll be finding our way out anytime soon. We should rest for awhile," replied Legolas, a bit calmer than his human friend.  
  
Aragorn sat down and leaned his back against the wall, trying to find as comfortable position as he could with the bow and arrows on his back. Legolas did the same, though he unsheathed his twin blades and held them, for precaution purposes. The blonde elf glanced over at Aragorn, whose eyes were already drifting shut. Just as the elven dreams drew near, Legolas heard it again. That sound. His eyes shot open. He strained his ears as light faded.  
  
A slight sound. The softest rustle. A brush, a dip, a click, a slight scurry.  
  
A footstep.  
  
Legolas' eyes grew wide as realization collided into him. With grace only his kind was granted, he stood in one smooth motion. He gently nudged Aragorn. As soon as the human's eyes opened, Legolas put a hand to his lips, silencing any questions. Aragorn stood silently as his friend bid, confusion written clearly on his face.  
  
Legolas pulled Aragorn close, his eyes turned towards the long shadowy path behind them. His voice was the softest of whispers, but there was an urgency in it. Aragorn met Legolas' eyes with alarm and found the elf looking straight back at him in grim reality.  
  
"We're not alone."  
  
The walls around them suddenly seemed so close - so tight. The wind was bone-chilling as it swept around them, carrying the noises closer and closer.  
  
"We're being hunted."  
  
  
  
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So what'd ya think!?!? I'm hoping this one will turn out ok! Well, check for updates! I'll be spitting out new chapters pretty fast, I should think, unless school happens to eat me alive during the next two or three weeks =D 


	2. The Game

Author's Notes:  
  
Not much to say this time, only that this chapter took much longer than expected to write. Also, I WILL be using Anduril in this story, so let's just ignore the fact that Aragorn isn't supposed to get for another few decades, ok!? =D  
  
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Chapter 2: The Game  
  
  
  
Before Aragorn could even fully register what Legolas had said, a piercing howl ripped through the approaching night, sending chills involuntarily up the man's spine. Still shocked and trying to process the predicament they were in, he was jolted out of his slight trance when Legolas yanked him hard by the arm.  
  
"We must not tarry, Estel, it is coming!"  
  
"Why don't we simply stay here and fight?" asked Aragorn, hesitating.  
  
Legolas cursed impatiently. "We don't know what we're up against! If we must fight, then let us at least delay it until we know what we face!"  
  
Needing no further urging, Aragorn took off after Legolas, who was already dashing further into the twisting maze. He had not quite the soundless grace of his Elven friend, but early training had given him enough speed to keep up.  
  
Legolas didn't bother looking behind him to see if Aragorn was still there - he could hear the human's semi-loud shuffling run a few feet behind. Legolas growled under his breath in frustration, knowing perfectly well they had no idea where they were going. They were simply taking random turns with no true direction in mind. To make things worse, he could hear their pursuer drawing nearer.  
  
They ran for seemingly hours, though in reality, their flight had only lasted for ten minutes or so at the most. The pace Legolas set was fast, but Aragorn harbored no complaints. There had not been any turns for a long while - now they were simply running down a straight pathway. Legolas wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign. . Legolas gritted his teeth as his mind sought some solution. No matter how hard and how fast they ran, both were aware the creature that hunted them was faster. Much faster.  
  
The howls were quick approaching. Aragorn chanced a quick glance over his shoulder at the long straight hall behind him. To his horror and rising panic, he could just make out a pair of gleaming red eyes in the dark. Despite the distance between them, Aragorn could sense the thrill of the hunt in those eyes.  
  
  
  
"Legolas!! It's right behind us!"  
  
His worst fears confirmed, Legolas smacked himself mentally. How had they gotten into this? One moment they were standing outside the walls of a city - free - and the next, they were being chased down by the Valar knows what.  
  
Aragorn felt the wind brushing past his face and whipping his dark hair behind him. It was completely dark now and no stars shimmered above. Only the pale moon's dull shine penetrated the black. He could barely see Legolas in front of him. It did not help that the elf made no noise as he ran. Trusting almost to blind flight and the slight glint of Legolas' golden hair, Aragorn ran on doggedly.  
  
Legolas dared not even pause for a split moment to check what was behind them. His mind worked furiously as he flew down the paths, his human friend right behind him. The maze took a sudden turn. The two friends made a sharp left and, suddenly, there was nowhere to go.  
  
Aragorn stared in disbelief. "A DEAD END!?!"  
  
Their howling pursuer was even closer now. Aragorn looked at Legolas who only looked right back at him. They stared.  
  
Legolas took a deep breath. "Now, don't panic, Estel -"  
  
"!?!?!?!?"  
  
"Alright then, perhaps panicking is natural in a situation like this.. "  
  
The young human rolled his eyes. "Well then, my friend, it looks as if we're going to have to fight after all."  
  
"Indeed." The Elven Prince reached behind him and felt calmed as his fingers closed around the smooth wood of his bow. With hands that moved quicker than sight, he notched an arrow and aimed at the darkness. Aragorn too fitted an arrow to his bowstring and stood in wait. They were silent as the pounding feet grew louder.  
  
"What do you think we're fighting?" inquired Legolas, his voice quiet and calm.  
  
"I wish I knew," replied Aragorn, gray eyes narrowing as he sighted.  
  
  
  
Suddenly, red eyes appeared around the bend. It halted immediately when it caught sight of them. Both friends held their breath when they saw what they faced.  
  
Taut muscles and sinew bunched and glided beneath a hide of rough black fur. A short mane of bristling hair stood out at awkward angles on its thick neck. Its jaws were pulled back in a threatening snarl, and pointed yellow fangs were visible. Saliva dripped from its thin black lips as it growled menacingly below those devilish ruby eyes. It resembled something of a giant misshapen wolf. Fearsome claws extended from giant paws scratched against the rocky ground as it prepared itself to spring.  
  
Aragorn and Legolas tightened their fingers on the Elven bows before they let their arrows fly. Aragorn's arrow hit first, burying deeply into the creature's shoulder, quickly followed by Legolas', which struck its neck. However, the arrows did not fell it - they only served to anger it.  
  
Before either could notch a second arrow, it was bounding towards them. Shocked at its speed, Aragorn and Legolas did the only thing they could do with a giant wolf lunging straight at them. They jumped out of the way. Aragorn executed a smooth roll to the right and ended up back on his feet. He had abandoned his bow some feet away, but now Anduril shone steadily in his hands. Legolas, who had leapt to the left, threw his precious bow in a corner, hoping it would not get stomped on during the upcoming fray. His blue eyes glinted in the moonlight as his Elven blades flew from their sheaths.  
  
The giant wolf did not seem any less confident when it found itself facing two enemies. Instead, the thrill of the hunt was fading from its eyes and the thrill of the kill was replacing it. It turned its attention to Aragorn first. With a roar, the beast lunged at the young human, claws extended. Cursing, Aragorn leapt lightly to the side and slashed at the creature's hide. To his frustration, the ancient blade hit at an awkward angle and only managed to inflict a minor wound. By now, however, Legolas was coming in from behind. The twin blades whistled in the air as he whirled them. Suddenly, the wolf turned with shocking agility and pounced on the unsuspecting elf.  
  
Legolas was slammed down hard, the wind knocked out of him. Gasping, he heard something within him crack when the animal's weight descended upon him. Gnashing teeth were right in his face when a streak of silver flashed above them. The creature roared as it rolled to the side, trying to avoid the sword that was hacking away at its thick hide. Aragorn blinked the sweat from his eyes as he desperately tried to distract the beast from Legolas, who as very obviously injured. That desperation increased tenfold as the wolf regained its balance, seemingly undaunted by the man's harsh blows. With one swipe of its huge paw, it knocked the ancient sword from Aragorn's hand. With a yell of surprise and dismay, Aragorn backed away, no weapon in hand.  
  
Legolas clenched his jaw tightly, fighting to overcome the stinging pain in his chest. He lifted himself up on his elbows and absorbed the scene before him. Aragorn was backed up against a far wall, the snarling wolf preparing itself for one final pounce. To his frustration, he found that he could not even lift himself up any further - the burning in his chest restricted him from any such movements. He knew he could not fight, not like this. But Aragorn could.  
  
"Estel!! Here!"  
  
Aragorn's eyes met his friend's for a brief moment before he saw one of Legolas' Elven blades skimming along the ground towards him. In one swift move, he reached down and grabbed the light weapon in his hand.  
  
Then, it pounced.  
  
Aragorn's mind worked in a frenzy. If he stayed where he was, he would be crushed against the wall by the creature's weight, even if he did manage to slay it. With nowhere to run, he had to think quickly as the creature flew through the air towards him. On a sudden drift of inspiration, Aragorn turned slightly and slammed the hilt of Legolas' blade as hard as he could into the wall, trusting to the durability of Elven weapons. Pebbles crumbled to the ground as the hilt embedded itself into the wall and stayed there. Knowing how every moment made a difference, Aragorn immediately dropped down and threw himself on the ground as far as he could towards the wolf. His calculations had been right - the creature flew straight over Aragorn's sprawled body and slammed into the blade that awaited it.  
  
A cry of agony issued forth from its torn throat. The beast clawed desperately at the wall as death beckoned. With a final shudder, it slid down the wall and lay in a furry heap on the floor.  
  
  
  
Breathing hard, Aragorn tore his eyes from the dead animal and crawled to Legolas' side. The elf was a little pale, but didn't look too bad overall.  
  
"Nice kill, my friend. Very quick thinking, I must say."  
  
Aragorn managed a smile. "Thank you. Now, let's see to your injury." Gently, he pulled Legolas to a nearby wall by the shoulders and propped him up against it.  
  
"I think I cracked a rib," murmured the elf.  
  
Aragorn nodded. "You did." He shrugged the small pack from his back and untied it quickly. Pulling out various herbs, he mixed them in a tiny wooden bowl with liquids from a vial until he had a thin paste. Aragorn unbuttoned Legolas' tunic and spread the newly made medicine on his chest lightly.  
  
"It'll help the bruising and dim the pain."  
  
He then preceded to unroll a bandage and wrap in tightly around his friend's chest. Hissing softy, Legolas closed his eyes and let Aragorn patch him up. Just as he was tying the strips of cloth, a howl split the night not too far off. Legolas and Aragorn froze.  
  
"There's more!?!"  
  
Legolas' lips were set in a grim line. "I suppose so."  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Aragorn quickly finished bandaging Legolas' ribs and hurriedly helped him to rebutton his tunic. With his friend's help, Legolas rose to his feet with a slight groan. Once standing, however, he felt the pressure lessen and he was able to ignore the sharp pangs in his chest.  
  
A second howl answered the first.  
  
  
  
Cursing, Aragorn ran to where Legolas' blade was embedded in the stone. He pulled it out and tossed it to Legolas before retrieving his own sword.  
  
  
  
Legolas took his place beside Aragorn, facing the darkness before them. The human cast a worried glance at his best friend.  
  
"There's more than one this time, Legolas. Do you think you can fight?"  
  
Legolas frowned. "I think I can - your herbs are working, so I can't really feel the pain anymore. I should be able to handle it."  
  
Aragorn nodded slowly. The first wolf had been more than challenging. He didn't relish the prospect of facing another one, and certainly not two of them at one time. He breathed deeply and held Anduril in a ready position.  
  
Just as two pairs of red eyes appeared in the darkness, a heavy groan of shifting stone sounded behind them. What they had thought to be a solid wall was sliding to the right, revealing a dark opening behind.  
  
Legolas glanced at the sudden opening, then at the two wolves who were scratching the ground like twin pitbulls, then at Aragorn. His blue eyes questioned silently.  
  
Aragorn shook his head furiously. "There is no possibly way we are going in there, Legolas, you don't know what's in there!"  
  
Legolas nodded towards the snarling creatures only a hundred or so feet away. "Would you rather fight them?"  
  
"I didn't say that - I just don't like the idea of going into some strange opening that just happened to slide open for us!"  
  
Suddenly, the wall started moving left again, the entrance narrowing slowly.  
  
Legolas growled in frustration. "Aragorn, it's closing! We must take a chance - we can't fight both of them!"  
  
"No!"  
  
Without a word, Legolas sheathed his twin blades, grabbed his bow and disappeared into the dark opening. Aragorn stared. ~He just left me!!~  
  
In that instant, the two giant wolves sprang towards the human in unison. Aragorn's eyes widened at the two huge forms descending towards him before he was yanked backwards into the black entrance. The stone wall slid shut with a thud, blocking them from the two attacking creatures outside.  
  
Aragorn gasped heavily as he lay on the cold floor with Legolas by his side.  
  
"Alright, fine, I'm glad we're not fighting those - things - now what have we gotten ourselves into?"  
  
Before Legolas could reply, the darkness was suddenly replaced by a brilliant light. After their eyes adjusted to the sudden change, they stared at what they saw. They were in a large domed room with sculpted pillars near the walls. Detailed battle scenes were painted beautifully on the walls. The floor was inlaid with marble and shone with a glaze. The dome above was painted in rich reds and golds, with small gems shimmering from within the color. More than a thousand candles were spread around the chamber, lit and illuminating the entire room.  
  
Legolas and Aragorn gaped, staring at the magnificent room in awe and wonderment.  
  
"Where are we?" inquired Aragorn softly, his eyes sweeping over the shining walls.  
  
"You are in the Hall of Carnuin. I must say, I am a little surprised you managed to defeat my Drehneg, though no less pleased, I assure you."  
  
  
  
Snapped from their trances, the two friends whipped their heads in unison to stare at the source of the voice. Their eyes fell on a dark corner at the end of the room, the only place not illuminated by the candles' penetrating light. Hurriedly getting to their feet, Aragorn and Legolas drew closer to each other. The Prince of Mirkwood narrowed his eyes. He could just make out a dark figure within the even darker shadows.  
  
"Who are you? Reveal yourself!" he commanded, his voice ringing with authority.  
  
An amused chuckle echoed back at them,  
  
"You have no authority here, young Prince, but I will do as you wish."  
  
With that, a tall robed figure emerged from the concealing shadows. His hood was pulled up over his head, his face hidden. He carried a long curved staff in his hands, which he ran his fingers along absentmindedly. He stopped a few dozen feet away from them.  
  
"Satisfied?"  
  
Aragorn followed Legolas' suit and narrowed his eyes as well. "No. We ask again, who are you?"  
  
A second malicious chuckle sounded from beneath the figure's hood. "As you command, Lord of Gondor."  
  
He pulled the dark hood from his face. Legolas and Aragorn stared. He seemed to be a man, though his piercing emerald eyes held none of the compassion that most men possessed. His face was ridged with hard lines and his nose was high and straight. His dark hair was pulled back from his face and tied with a short length of red ribbon. All in all, he seemed like wise nobility but for the evil intent in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was deep, but edged with a certain malice and amused pleasure that chilled the very air they all breathed.  
  
"You may call me Lord Hindir. You need no knowledge of from where I came, but I arrived at Carnuin perhaps two years ago."  
  
"Hindir?" Aragorn frowned. "What of King Hayden?"  
  
Lord Hindir laughed this time. "Oh, him. I'm afraid he was well corrupted by my Dark Arts when I first came here. I eventually overruled him and his pitiful excuse for a city."  
  
Legolas had to force himself from backing away. King Hayden had been out of power for two years? Then who had invited Elrond and Thrandiul here - was it this - Lord Hindir?  
  
"My Lord Hindir," said Legolas, taking a step forward. "I don't know what you have done with the people of Carnuin and their King, but Aragorn and I have nothing to do with it. All we want is to leave."  
  
Hindir laughed. "Leave? There if only one way you can leave." His eyes glinted in the light of the candles.  
  
Legolas felt an uneasiness growing within him. "How?"  
  
"Play The Game."  
  
Aragorn and Legolas glanced at each other. The game? What in Valar's name was the game? Hindir continued before either could inquire.  
  
"Since I settled here, I have created a city of peril. I have been a hunter all my life, but now," he smiled. "I am content with watching my. . innovations.. . do the hunting."  
  
Aragorn felt queasy. Innovations?  
  
"You see," continued Hindir. "I have created a Game of sorts. I was getting quite bored, however, with all the weary travelers who happened to stumble upon my kingdom. They perish far too quickly and offer me no amusement. My last real challenge was King Hayden and his people. They at least lasted for more than a week. Since then though.. . I am afraid life here has been quite a bore."  
  
Puzzle pieces started clicking into place in Aragorn and Legolas' minds.  
  
"I was browsing through a few old documents in the Carnuin archives last summer." Hindir's eyes brightened. "-And behold, I read about the perfect players. Lord Elrond of Rivendell and King Thrandiul of Greenwood. Two great Elven warriors, and royalty, nonetheless."  
  
Legolas' eyes narrowed. "You were planning to draw them here using Hayden's name!"  
  
Hindir smiled. "You two, their sons, came instead, but I do not consider that a bad thing - not a bad thing at all. The pair of you should give some entertainment. I have waited long for someone worthy to play."  
  
Aragorn's brows knitted in deep alarm. "Play what?"  
  
Lord Hindir slid the staff between his hands. "I send people through the city, through scenarios I have created. The Game is simple. If you survive long enough to reach the end, the way out of the city is yours. If not - then I am afraid my creatures will have much pleasure devouring you."  
  
Legolas growled angrily under his breath. He had been free all his life, and treated quite well considering his royal heritage. He was highly respected among every race, and well liked just as much. The idea of being trapped in some madman's twisted city and being forced to do what he did not want to do did not go well with him. Raging blue flame ignited and danced wildly in his eyes. "I will not play your twisted 'game'."  
  
Hindir laughed. "They all say that, my fair Prince." Then, his laughter faded and his eyes narrowed into slits with an evil light shone from them. "But when darkness is all around you and you find yourself faced with formidable foes - believe me now; you 'will' play."  
  
Aragorn stepped forward, his teeth bared. In a flash, Anduril flew from its sheath and glared threateningly at Hindir. "We will be rid of you now then, my Lord. Somehow, I do not think your game will be very well played without you here to guide it!" The young Ranger felt his confidence escalate when he heard Legolas' twin blades being drawn. However, his mind hinted at some misgiving. Lord Hindir only smiled.  
  
Suddenly, their weapons flew from their hands, torn away from them by some invisible force. The three blades skidded across the tiled floor and slowed to a stop right beside a large gilded door on the opposite side of the room. Without a sound, the door slid open, revealing night outside.  
  
Lord Hindir shook his head, as if he were a father disappointed in his childrens' foolish antics. "Tut-tut, my friends. You really must take more caution with your weapons. I believe you will need them in the days to come."  
  
Legolas glanced at Aragorn, moving his hands back to his sides, no weapons in hand.  
  
"There is no way back. Play The Game or die here. You choice." Hindir's voice was growing impatient.  
  
Aragorn and Legolas shared looks of worry and rising panic. Simultaneously, they lifted their eyes to stare at the open door and nighttime fear. The elf sighed and looked back at Hindir, who was watching them irately.  
  
Without a word, The Prince of Mirkwood turned and headed towards the door. His heart was heavy with foreboding, but no other choice was presented to them. Aragorn closed his eyes for a few seconds before following his Elven friend. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hindir's pleased smile directed towards them. Aragorn stifled his anger and as they passed through the door and immediately bent down to retrieve their weapons. When they looked up to observe the scene before then, a feeling of dread forced its way into their hearts.  
  
A black forest stood before them. Twisting branches waved in the night, groping at nothing. Odd shuffling noises could be heard from deep within the wood. The tall gnarled trees stood in haunting wait.  
  
"Farewell for now, my young friends," called Lord Hindir. "Play the Game well and you may yet survive."  
  
Then, the heavy door slammed shut behind them.  
  
  
  
Taking a deep breath, Legolas turned to look at his friend.  
  
"Well, Estel - it appears we play or die."  
  
"Well put, my friend," replied Aragorn, his eyes betraying the confidence in his voice.  
  
Legolas sighed. "Come - we will live through this."  
  
Their minds troubled deeply, the two friends gripped their weapons and started forewards. Fear managed to gnaw its way through flesh and bone and settled annoyingly into their hearts. The Elven Prince and the future King of Men started off into the skewed wilderness of the Black Wood.  
  
The Game had begun.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~  
  
Uh oh, this does not bode well, I don't think =Þ Check back for the third chapter to see what messy bad stuff they have to grow through in the **dun dun dun** BLACK WOOD. EEEEEEEE~! 


	3. Groping

Authoe's Notes:  
  
Yeeeeaaaah ok, school had been eating me alive these past few days. Sorry for the delay, but here's the third chapter! Thanks SO MUCH for the reviews ~ they are incredibly uplifting =)  
  
Predador is frustrating me in a number of ways, so I might start another story while continuing this story as well, just for my peace of mind. I have another plot already in mind, with much more angst and torture. That's always fun =D Well, what do you guys think - should I, or just stick with this one 'til I'm good and done with it?  
  
Well, give me your input!! Thanks!  
  
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Chapter 3: Groping  
  
  
  
"I can't believe this is happening," grated Aragorn as he clove his way through thorny weeds and thick underbrush. "It's just our luck we get trapped in some forsaken city and forced to wander around like pawns!"  
  
Legolas glanced at his human friend. "Come now, it's not as bad as you make it to be." He caught the look of disbelief Aragorn threw at him. "Alright, maybe it is. .."  
  
Aragorn sighed heavily. ~We'd better get out of here alive, or I'll throw myself off a cliff~  
  
Legolas joined Aragorn in slicing through the heavy undergrowth with his twin knives. "I've met some rather odd people in my lifetime, but I think Hindir beats them all out. Who would actually build a place specifically intended to trap people and put them through danger and very possible death?"  
  
Aragorn rubbed his hand where a nettle had stung him. "A psychopathic and extremely bored person like Hindir would."  
  
The Prince of Mirkwood sighed and sheathed his weapons. "Estel, we don't know where we're going. Perhaps we ought to think of some direction before we wander too far into this place. Remember, there's got to be things in here we don't want to face, otherwise Hindir would never have made it. So, we have to try to get out of here as soon as possible. I - Estel?"  
  
Aragorn held up a hand to silence his elven friend. He was perfectly still, his head cocked slightly to the side like he was listening for something. For a few moments, Legolas was afraid Aragorn had heard something approaching, but saw that could not be when a smile lit the human's face.  
  
"Don't you hear that?" asked Aragorn.  
  
The elf wasn't too sure he was happy with the fact that a human had caught a sound before him, but he followed Aragorn's example. Frowning, Legolas tuned his ears a little better and listened. After a second, the soft sound of water brushing over rocks reached his ears.  
  
"Running water! A river!" Legolas exclaimed. They looked at each other briefly before sprinting off towards the sound.  
  
Pushing themselves through various kinds of plant life, they burst through a large clump of green underbrush. They were well rewarded by the sight of a foaming teal river, its wispy fingers brushing over and stroking random boulders scattered within it.  
  
Aragorn grinned. "Well then, all we have to do is follow the river! It has to let out somewhere."  
  
Legolas nodded, "Hopefully, this won't take too long."  
  
With that, they struck off north in the direction the rushing river wound, their deep panic and concerns momentarily forgotten.  
  
*** * ***  
  
The candles flickered and cast eerie shadows on the painted walls. The room was silent, but for the lone voice murmuring quietly in the center of the domed room.  
  
Lord Hindir stood staring into the large crystal fixed onto his staff. Within it, he could see his guests' images, walking and conversing idly on the riverbank.  
  
"Ah, good, you have found the river to follow. It's surprising how few actually manage to search it out and live to see outside the Black Wood. Very good. "  
  
His emerald eyes glinted maliciously, but a fine amused chuckle sounded from his lips.  
  
"Go on, my friends, walk on. We shall see how long you live. We shall see."  
  
The flames perched on the candle wicks danced in response to his laughter.  
  
*** * ***  
  
Legolas glanced around him worriedly when he noticed the daylight fading. He could barely see the setting sun due to the huge canopy of leaves above him. Nonetheless, he begged for the golden orb to stay, knowing she would not answer as darkness slowly descended and the shadowy moon rose high. His silent begging was interrupted when Aragorn nudged him lightly.  
  
"We should stop for the night, Legolas. I don't want to trek in the dark, and this way, we can stop and light a fire."  
  
Legolas nodded and halted. "Good idea. We'll sleep here for the night, by the river. This way, if anything attacks us, we at least have the river at our backs."  
  
Aragorn immediately chose a spot and struck a few pieces of tinder and soon, he had a small blaze going. He settled back on his haunches and watched as Legolas leaned his back up against a giant tree of some foreign nature. The young Ranger stood and went to join Legolas. The light from the fire played over their faces, flickering from yellow to orange to red, then back again. Together, they stared silently at the wandering river, which ran cold, untouched by the former sun's heat.  
  
"Legolas?" Aragorn broke the silence.  
  
The elf continued to stare straight ahead, his eyes following the gentle curves and movements of the water, "What?"  
  
"Do you think we'll survive this?"  
  
Sensing the desperate uneasiness in his friend's usually confident voice, Legolas turned his head to look the human straight in the eye. Brilliant blue met stormy gray, and the emotions in Legolas' eyes assured Aragorn in feelings that did not need to be put in words, but Legolas did anyway.  
  
"I know we will."  
  
Aragorn smiled, grateful for Legolas' confidence, even if he did not feel it. He turned his eyes back to the twisting water.  
  
*** * ***  
  
It had never wanted much in life, for It had but one desire: to stay alive. And to stay alive, It had to eat. Unfortunately, food of any subsidence was incredibly rare, so It was many a time forced to scavenge on the bottom of the river. The one who put It there in this icy water never fed it, he only allowed a few good pieces of meat to enter the forest once in a while, but the land creatures usually got them first. Only a few managed to escape the slick ones - it was up to It to catch them.  
  
It had no real capability of true thought, only the most basic emotions, and at that moment, hunger was predominating. Transparent blue eyes glassy in the water, It watched the shore from just beneath the surface.  
  
Meat.  
  
It has not seen such a good meal in a long time, and haste was pulling at Its instincts. It swam a little closer, observing the two figures laying in idle rest on the riverbank. How good those two pieces of meat would taste, torn to bloody pieces, fresh and still warm. Haste. It stopped, withdrew. Bright silver scales flashed in the moonlight penetrating the water as It sunk back into the depths. No, It would not eat tonight.  
  
But the food had still a long way to go before the wood ended, and It was quite aware of that, despite Its simple mind. Ignoring the hunger that gnawed Its belly, It lay only a hundred or so feet from the shoreline.  
  
For now, It was content just to watch, and wait.  
  
*** * ***  
  
  
  
Aragorn felt the mind-numbing relaxation and calm tranquility that often came with sleep. The world of dreams was near, and he was glad for it. Succumbing to the sweet rest, he pulled his cloak around him unconsciously and gave a slight snore. Right when the power of sleep was about to envelope him, though, he felt the barest touch against his right calf. ~Foolish me and my sensitive awareness~ he thought, still floating in and out of sleep. Then, as that something nudged against him harder, his drowsy brain processed the fact that something truly was moving against him. ~What in the Valar is TOUCHING me!?~ Aragorn's eyes opened and he, careful not to move, looked down.  
  
A thin, but long, dark brown serpent was half curled around Aragorn's leg. His eyes narrowed. ~Good thing I've had some experience with snakes~ Moving faster than humans should have the right to, the young Ranger's hand whipped downwards and his fingers closed around the snake's neck, right below it's bobbing head. With a quick yank, he pulled it free of his calf and flung it into the bushes. He rolled his eyes as he settled himself back down. ~Irritating little things~  
  
He lay down again and mumbled quietly as he turned on his side, "I hope it doesn't come ba - " He stopped in mid-sentence. There, right in front of his nose, a second serpent, this one bigger and yellow in color, lay in a coil. With a small gasp of surprise, Aragorn rolled away and stood. He took a step back and accidentally bumped into a sleeping Legolas.  
  
The elf awoke at the intrusion and sat up slowly. "What's wrong, Est -?"  
  
"Shhhhh!!" Aragorn held a finger to his lips and beckoned Legolas to stand.  
  
Confused, Legolas did as he was bid. Before he could ask any questions, a bright color caught his eye. He jumped a little when he saw the long serpent coiled casually on the ground, watching them, only a few feet away. He tapped Aragorn on the elbow, not taking his eyes off the snake.  
  
"Ah - Estel, there is a very big snake sitting there looking at us."  
  
Aragorn frowned and turned to look at his friend. "I know that already, what do you think I'm looking at?" Just then, he saw that Legolas had seen a different snake than the one he himself had sighted. The golden- haired elf was staring as a gigantic orange serpent with dark spots to the left. At the same time, Legolas looked over Aragorn's shoulder to see the yellow snake on the right. The two friends looked at each other.  
  
"There's two of them."  
  
Before either could think of how to be rid of them, they heard a rustling in the bushes - the sound of scales gliding over leaves and twigs and dirt.  
  
Legolas scanned the foliage in the darkness surrounding them, trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. It was to his horror that he realized the sounds were coming from all around them. ~This is not bode well.~  
  
As the rustling grew louder, two or three snakes, all of different colors and sizes, appeared from the dark leaves. Before Aragorn or Legolas could react, more and more followed. Within half a minute, the two friends were surrounded on all sides by dozens of hissing snakes, all staring at the two figures in the center. The dark ground was soon teeming with so many of them that the true color of the ground could not longer be determined. It was with a heavy dread that Legolas noticed the rustling had not yet stopped. More were coming.  
  
Legolas and Aragorn moved slowly until they were back to back, eyes darting back and forth among the small, but potentially lethal creatures that slithered closer and closer. Aragorn found himself faced with a seemingly a hundred snakes, all watching him hungrily like ravenous wolves cornering a baby elk. He hated to admit his fear, but he found the desire to simply hide behind Legolas very consuming. He might have done so, had not his pride restricted him, as well as the fact that the Prince was facing the same predicament on his side.  
  
Legolas' blue eyes glanced quickly at the fire, which was not naught but a few orange embers, swiftly dimming in the chilling cold of night. He cursed silently to himself. All wild creatures were wary of fire - if they had none, they were caught in a very troubling situation indeed. As he was still trying desperately to configure some solution in his head, the rustling sounds stopped. Silence reigned for a only a few moments before a new sound took its place.  
  
Aragorn and Legolas stared around them in alarm and surprise as every snake within that proximity took up a baleful hissing. The sound grew louder and louder until it filled their ears, and nothing else was audible in the blackness. Both were knowledgeable enough to know that snakes usually hissed in fear, but somehow, this seemed different. The hundreds of snakes around them were not recoiling in fright - they were advancing.  
  
The two friends drew closer together as the snakes closed in around them, only a few feet away from them. Slowly, they both drew their weapons. Fighting attacking snakes was not a common occurrence for either, but they would despite the oddity of it.  
  
Legolas murmured softly to his friend, hoping to comfort the young human, "Don't worry too much, Estel - they may not even be dangerous."  
  
Suddenly, one apparently bold snake narrowed its beady black eyes and struck forward, striking Aragorn's leg. Its fangs, however, raked only through the dark cloth, avoiding his skin by a mere inch. The hot stench of bunt sulfur permeated the air around them. Aragorn gasped and jumped back from the offending animal. He looked down at his leg to see the venom had burnt a hole through the material of his leggings and a gray tendril of smoke arose from it.  
  
"Oh, I think they are very dangerous, Legolas."  
  
Just as the snake, angry it had not felled its victim on the first try, attempted to strike again. Before it could, however, Legolas' twin blades whirled down and sliced it half. His eyes widened when he saw a sizzling acid bubble on his knives where they had cut into the snake's body.  
  
That seemed to set off an alarm among the snakes.  
  
Simultaneously, every slithering body moved forward angrily, though with some caution. Aragorn reached behind him and felt slightly assured when he felt the smooth texture of the elf's tunic under his fingers. Not taking his eyes off the advancing serpents, he spoke urgently to Legolas, not even bothering to keep his voice down anymore.  
  
"Legolas, if their venom can have that kind of affect on my clothes and your knives, I really don't think we should stay here and get bitten!"  
  
The Prince of Mirkwood gritted his teeth. "Well, what do you propose we do!?!"  
  
Aragorn took a breath to answer, but stopped suddenly when something hanging directly above him caught his eye. "Legolas! The trees!"  
  
Without pausing to look again at the quickly approaching snakes, Aragorn leapt up as high as he could. He was rewarded at the feel of rough bark in his hands. "Hurry, Legolas, follow me!" Aragorn swung himself up and folded his legs over the overhanging branch. Once he steadied himself, one jump landed him on a sturdier branch. Only then did he have the chance to see how Legolas was faring.  
  
The renowned archer was having difficulties. Once the serpents had seen Aragorn disappear into the foliage above, they had apparently turned furious at the thought of losing their prey. Now, Legolas was slicing at attacking snakes while trying to find a spare moment to jump into the tree with Aragorn.  
  
The Ranger immediately pulled his bow from his back. Rough fingers dancing, he notched an arrow with speed and shot at the general area around Legolas' feet. The arrow had come as a surprise to the snakes - they backed off for a split second. In that moment, Legolas sheathed his Elven blades and leapt high onto the waiting branch. The young Prince grasped the rough bark gently and stared down below him. For a full minute, the two friends did naught but sit and watch, unwise as it was.  
  
Aragorn felt his shoulders hit something - Legolas. He had not even realized he he had been scooting backwards, away from the serpents' searching tongues that were so ominously flickering. The human's eyes darted back and forth among the small, but potentially lethal, creatures that slithered closer and closer. He could hear Legolas speak softly from behind him.  
  
Aragorn pulled the elf to where he was and they crouched there, watching the furious snakes hissing and crawling over each other below.  
  
"Legolas," Aragorn glanced at his friend. "We can't stay up here forever."  
  
The elf's eyes were troubled. "I know that, but it doesn't look like they're going to let off anytime soon."  
  
Aragorn stared hard at the writhing mass beneath them and shivered at the thought of falling victim to their fatal strikes. He had no intention of dying so soon, and admittedly, he was more than anxious to just disappear. He prodded Legolas lightly, getting the elf's attention.  
  
"We should make a getaway through the trees. At least then they can't track us easily if we're above them, and we can still follow the river from up here."  
  
Legolas nodded. "Right. Come on then. Be quiet as you can, we don't know how acute their senses are."  
  
With that, the Prince of Mirkwood stood up gracefully and immediately made his way through the branches with ease. Aragorn followed, though not so lightly. He strained his eyes in the night.  
  
~Blast, these branches are hard to see in this cursed dark~  
  
He could hear Legolas' soft voice drift back to him from ahead.  
  
"Be careful where you step, Aragorn, some of these branches are not too sturdy."  
  
Aragorn frowned to himself as he grasped on to whatever he could for balance. It was times like these he wished he were an elf. A flash of color below caught his attention. The masses of brightly colored serpents were following them, their beady onyx eyes fixed on the two figures above them. Aragorn shivered again as he continued to step forward, his eyes cemented to the ground.  
  
He realized too late he should have been focusing his attention elsewhere.  
  
With a splintering crack, the limb below him snapped in half. With a cry of surprise and dismay he faltered wildly, desperately reaching for anything nearby to steady himself. He found none.  
  
"Legolas!!"  
  
Leaves and twigs flying up around him, Aragorn fell from the topmost branch of the great oak, straight towards the forest floor and the bared fangs that rose to greet him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Love it? Hate it? Like I said in the beginning of this chapter, I'm experiencing some major frustration with this story, so feel free to give me some suggestions! 


	4. In the Depths

Author's Notes: Wow, it's been a while since I've updated. I think it was the writer's block. Yeah, it was the writer's block. Anywhoo, here's a very late fourth chapter. Enjoy! =)  
  
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Chapter Four: In the Depths  
  
The wind whistled angrily in Aragorn's ears as his insane fall lead him closer and closer to the cold, scaled bodies beneath him. His arms flailed madly in an attempt to defy gravity and somehow fly away - or at least to grab hold onto something. Panic surged through every vein in his body as the ground sped towards him in a blinding whirl of colors and hideous slithering shapes. ~Damn!! Damn, damn, damn, damn-damn-damn!~ He squeezed his eyes closed tightly. ~DAMN!~  
  
Suddenly, Aragorn's questing fingers closed around something smooth and thin. He body made an abrupt and rather painful stop. Slowly, the young ranger opened his eyes and found himself hanging in midair only a foot above the ground. His stomach turned several times over at the sight of several dozen snakes fighting to rip off a toe or two. It wasn't until he felt his face grow hot and his mind go foggy that he realized he wasn't breathing. Barely daring to make the slightest move, he exhaled cautiously and breathed in the sweet oxygen he had deprived his lungs of for several minutes. With a painful lack of speed, Aragorn turned his head upwards just in time to see his elven friend's golden head pop out of the leafy foliage many yards above.  
  
Legolas took in the situation quickly and breathed in relief at seeing his friend alive, which was certainly nothing short of a miracle. When he heard the crackling snap of the branches minutes earlier, his keen mind immediately inferred that Aragorn had fallen, but the actual fact of it had not truly registered until he had heard the human's panicked cry sounding from below him rather than behind. In every other situation, the fear that had arisen in him on this occasion would have been much less severe. After all, Estel had fallen from trees countless times when Legolas first taught him to climb. Perhaps it was the fact that the oak he stood in now was much, much higher than any Aragorn had ever fallen from before that made him so desperately afraid. Perhaps it was the hundreds of fatal reptiles down below climbing over themselves in urgent desire of a meal. Perhaps it was the fact that a very obviously unbalanced psychopath intended for his two victims to encounter danger, pain, and inevitable death. Whether it be one or all three of those reasons, Legolas definitely panicked. With all the fear that had escalated in him at his friend's fall, the sight of him alive - in immense danger, but alive - sent waves of relief flooding through him. Of course, that relief was quickly replaced by disbelief, frustration, and anger. ~By the Valar, Aragorn's idiocy could have killed him!~ He slapped his forehead. ~Blasted, clumsy humans!~  
  
Aragorn stared up at his friend and smiled. His grin faded hesitantly when he saw Legolas' irritated scowl. "What?"  
  
"You.you." Legolas sputtered, unable to form coherent words despite all the insults that were running quite rationally through his mind.  
  
Aragorn winced. ~My, he does look rather upset~ He cleared his throat while attempting to look apologetic and innocent at the same time. "Insult me later Legolas. Right now, I'd appreciate it immensely if you helped me out a little." He nodded nervously at the bobbing, hissing heads that were mere inches from his boots.  
  
Legolas sighed. Yes, he would berate his human friend later. "Can you climb up?"  
  
"I think so," Aragorn took a deep breath and started to pull himself up, hand after hand.  
  
Legolas felt his anger subside at seeing Estel draw nearer and nearer, closer to him and safety. He noticed the human's apprehensive glances at the ground. "Don't look down! You're doing fine!"  
  
Aragorn smiled slightly, glad for his friend's support. Legolas was so close now - only a few yards or so more. Confidence slowly moved in as he heard that ominous hissing grow farther away. His eyebrows furrowed and a trickle of sweat slid down the side of his face. ~Just a little more to go~ Suddenly, he stopped.  
  
Legolas frowned. "What are you doing?" Fear once again crept up on him when Aragorn's shaky voice answered him.  
  
"Ehm - we have a problem here, Legolas."  
  
The elf searched the vine for the reason behind Aragorn's uncertainty. He quickly found it. Right above Estel's forehead the vine was starting to split. The human's weight was obviously too much for the thin vine to take. Legolas' eyes shifted between the breaking vine and his friend's face, not completely sure of the consequences of his words, "Maybe you should climb up really fast. Maybe it won't break completely."  
  
Aragorn nodded slowly, not exactly sure of Legolas' words either. He brought up his hand to close around the green surface and grimaced when the split widened. The rip had cut through more than half of the vine. "I don't think that's going to work."  
  
Legolas's mind raced for an answer. Estel was too far away for him to grab, so that was out of the question. As he searched the ground for some kind of solution, his eyes widened slightly when an idea popped into his head. "Estel! You're hanging very close to the river. Perhaps you should try and fall into the water."  
  
Aragorn stared at him in disbelief. "You must be insane! I don't know how deep that river is and neither do you. Besides, I could very easily miss!"  
  
"Well, I don't see another solution."  
  
"Isn't there anything up there you can hold out that I could grab?"  
  
Legolas quickly scanned the trees. "No. All the branches around here that aren't as thick as your leg are rotting away. They'd break if you tried to hold onto them." His fingers brushed over an old, rotting piece of timber by his side. He nodded at the split in the vine, which was growing as Aragorn's weight pulled it apart.  
  
"You don't have much time. I'm completely serious, Estel, you should jump!"  
  
"No!"  
  
Legolas wrapped his fingers around the long branch. A few seconds of silence passed between them before the Prince of Mirkwood sighed. "I'm really very sorry, Estel."  
  
Aragorn forced down the returning panic and frowned up at his friend. "For what?"  
  
The ranger's eyes widened in shock as a large gray branch descended from above and whacked him hard in the shoulder. He felt his hands slip as he lost his grip on the vine that, at that moment, completely broke and fell in a coil to the serpents below.  
  
"LEGOLAAAAAAAAS!!!"  
  
Said elf watched apprehensively from above as his best friend started to fall, the unstable piece of wood crumbling in his hands. He had known the branch would have been no good in holding Aragorn up, but it was perfect for smacking Aragorn in the right direction - towards the river, that is. Despite his friend's fall into the foaming waters, he was relieved to see the snakes hiss angrily, then depart into the brush as quickly as they came. Apparently, they felt Aragorn was far too much trouble.  
  
A loud splash and a spray of white foam announced the young human's entry to the dark, unknown depths. Aragorn's mind was working in overdrive as he felt the icy cold water penetrate him to the bone. His sword and heavy clothing were dragging him down, but fortunately, the river's fast current kept him from sinking. Legolas' speed and agility came into play as he sprinted off through the trees, following his friend's dark shape as it sped downriver. Estel's head kept disappearing and reappearing above the bubbling, blue-green surface.  
  
"LEGOLAS!" Splash. "I AM GOING TO-" Gurgle. " - KILL YOU!!"  
  
Legolas winced apologetically. "I said sorry!!"  
  
"YYEEEAAAAARRRRGH!!"  
  
The elf swung quickly through the trees. ~I take it he's not accepting my apology then~  
  
Fast-flowing, teal wings beat against Aragorn's body as they carried him swiftly downstream. He could barely make out Legolas' lithe form as he jumped from branch to branch gracefully in a successful attempt to keep up. It seemed to Aragorn that he had been in this whooshing, cold, watery confusion for hours, though only minutes had passed. ~Illuvitar, that elf is going to DIE~  
  
His thoughts raced.  
  
~It's not enough that a hundred snakes tried to bite my legs off, but I end up being smacked into and caught in a river that leads to Light knows where!~  
  
However, as angry words and rather crude curses sped through his head, he felt himself gradually slow down as the water grew calmer. The beating waves that had previously been so forceful were now feeling rather gentle against his exhausted body. He glanced upwards and was glad to see Legolas - despite his irritation - still keeping up easily.  
  
Legolas kept his attentions divided between his friend and the branches in front of him. "There are a lot a low overhangs up ahead, Estel. You're going slow enough now to grab one of them!"  
  
Aragorn took the advice and, as a low branch came into view, reached up and closed his fingers tightly around the rough bark. He came to a jolting stop and took the opportunity to grab it with the other hand as well. The river pushed at him uncomfortably, but he held on with determination written all over his tired face. Legolas leapt gracefully down onto the base of the branch that Aragorn held in a very dramatic death grip. The Elven prince checked over Estel's soaked form from a few feet away.  
  
"You alright?"  
  
Aragorn glared. "I won't dignify that with an answer."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Legolas stood smoothly and, step by step, made his way to where Aragorn clung pathetically on. "Well, at least you're alive."  
  
His anger fading, Aragorn managed a weak grin. "Sorry to disappoint you."  
  
Legolas laughed slightly. "No need. I'll find a more successful way to kill you later."  
  
Aragorn let go of the branch briefly to grab hold of Legolas' outstretched hand. For an instant, blue met gray and a familiar sense of brotherhood passed between them.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Not a problem. Now let's get you out of there. I-" The Elven Prince frowned, azure eyes shifting quickly from relief to concern. "What's wrong?"  
  
The grin had vanished from Aragorn's face, replaced by surprise and a  
tinge of pain. "Legolas, I think something is -"  
  
SPLASH!!  
  
Legolas blinked. Where Aragorn had been only a second before only dark water swirled. His outstretched hand was empty. Confusion was apparent in his eyes as he grasped the brown bark and scanned the waters hurriedly. "Estel!? ESTEL!?!?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cold, murky water filled Aragorn's nostrils as he felt himself being pulled down, deeper and deeper. He was quickly losing sight of the moonlight from above, as well as the soft glint of Legolas' blonde hair. Turning his head while trying not to swallow any more water, Aragorn's eyes widened at the sight. A gray, exotic-looking fish of some sort had a strong grip on his ankle. Odd bulges jutted out from its pudgy body and it's jaw was far too large compared to the rest of it. It's tail hung in limp slivers, as if another creature had tried to digest the appendage, but had coughed it back up. Long black whiskers sprung from various places in no particular symmetry or pattern whatsoever. Short, spiked teeth lined the inside of its mouth in intimidating rows. Aragorn quickly decided it was the ugliest thing he had ever seen in his life. Ironically, the strange attacker had blue eyes remarkably similar to those of his Elven friend's, but they held none of the compassion. Instead, those bright, gleaming eyes harbored a cold, unfeeling emotion that sent shivers up Aragorn's spine.  
  
Aragorn winced when he tried to pull his feet free; his skin stung painfully where the creature's short fangs were buried in it. He risked a glance upwards. The surface was invisible to him now. For the millionth time that day, he felt panic invade his senses completely. He tried desperately to calm himself. ~Alright, Estel, think, THINK~ Thinking was quite beyond him at that point. All he could seem to do was fight to keep from sinking any further. His chest throbbed painfully, his lungs burning from the lack of air. His head was beginning to feel light. ~That's never a good sign~  
  
Desperately, Aragorn grabbed at the hilt of his sword that still hung heavily at his hip. He pulled the gleaming blade from its sheath and slashed at the fish. However, the water greatly hindered his movements at the blade barely nicked the creature's dull scales. Thinking quickly of another alternative, Aragorn switched hands and thrust the ancient weapon directly at one if its cold, merciless eyes.  
  
Ice cold shivers ran up his spine as an eerie, unearthly screech vibrated off the algae-encrusted boulders beneath the dark surface of the river. A slight fog of dark maroon blood spread through the water and disappeared a few inches from its torn eye. In its shocked pain, it released Aragorn's ankle from its death grip and writhed its gray body in the water, searching for some release from the agony. The young human did not hesitate. Immediately, he kicked his legs hard to propel himself upwards - towards light, towards land, towards something much better than the death he would inevitably face in the depths. Head painfully spinning, Aragorn struggled not to open his mouth in a vain attempt to acquire desperately needed air.  
  
~Damn!~  
  
His weapons and heavy clothing pulled at him as he swam as hard as he could. For a few seconds, he deliberated giving his precious sword to the murky unknown, but he quickly abandoned that train of thought. Anduril was far too special a weapon. As well as he could while swimming, Aragorn fumbled with the brooch at the base of his throat and unclasped it. His cloak drifted away from him; he felt himself immediately go faster without the dead weight on him dragging him down.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Legolas cursed in all the languages and dialects he was able to. Eyes narrowed and jaw set in steadfast determination, he unslung the weapons from his back and unclasped the Elvish cloak from around his shoulders. In two swift movements, the gauntlets on his wrists lay discarded on the ground. ~The madness never ends, does it?~  
  
He poised himself to jump. Suddenly, he paused and looked behind him at his weapons dangling by their straps from the branch. With hands that moved incredibly fast, even by Elven standards, Legolas whisked his two gleaming blades from their sheathes. Holding them tightly in clenched hands, the young Prince dived headfirst into the icy cold water. Glad of his immunity to temperatures, he streamlined his body and forced his eyes open. He best friend would not die tonight - not if he had anything to do with it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Aragorn's eyes widened with urgency. He could see the moonlight bouncing off the ruffled surface of the river and propelled himself ever harder, striving to reach safety.  
  
~So close. So. Close.~  
  
Suddenly, he felt himself stop. Panicked and on the verge of passing out, he looked down to see the great fish with a mouthful of Anduril's sheath. One eye socket was obviously damaged beyond repair with tissue and nerves grotesquely lining it. Aragorn struggled to pull the belt from his waste, but gradually, his watery surroundings started to grow dim. He felt lightning bolts of pain ricocheting through his skull, his chest on fire. His hands grew slack in the water and a bubble issued forth from his slightly open mouth. His eyes drifted shut. Someone called his name, "Estel." The blue-green water and hazy confusion changed slowly into a much more appealing scene. Grass. Sunlight. Rivendell in its springtime splendor. Aragorn smiled softly. "Estel." A cool breeze brushed lightly across him, ruffling the new green leaves of the trees. Imladris' silver and gold arches gleamed in the bright afternoon rays. "Estel." He looked to his right. A small bubbling stream ran through the rocks by his side. Trout flipping in the crystal-clear water. Birds above singing in the tall sycamores. The leaves whispering secrets of beauty -  
  
Something slapping him hard across the face.  
  
"Estel!"  
  
Aragorn's eyes shot open. In a moment, he was coughing up what seemed like gallons of moldy riverwater, and his entire body burned with a pain that came from just about everywhere.  
  
"By the gods, my friend, no need to hunt tonight. You've hacked up enough fish to last us a month and a half!"  
  
Breathing with some difficulty, Aragorn wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up slowly. A tan and gold blur slowly shifted and unified until it became Legolas' grinning, but concerned face. The young ranger sat up and shook his head to clear his rattled brain. "What happened?"  
  
"Well, you were dragged down by a rather large fish and -"  
  
"I know that," interrupted Aragorn, "How did I get up here. All I remember is swimming. Well, trying to swim anyway."  
  
The Prince of Mirkwood helped his friend to a sitting position. "I jumped in after you, of course. I saw that thing had you by your sword and it didn't look like you were enjoying it too much either. Anyways, it wasn't expecting me, so two quick swipes and it was gutted."  
  
Aragorn winced.  
  
"Then I sort of swam you back up here. You weren't exactly protesting, so I took that as condescension." Legolas patted Aragorn on the shoulder. "Don't feel too pitiful, my friend. At least you blinded it. Well, half blinded it anyway."  
  
Aragorn scowled. "I could have killed it."  
  
"Right. I'm sure gaping with your eyes closed is a new battle technique."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Legolas laughed out loud this time, "No gratitude?"  
  
Aragorn could not stop himself from smiling. "Thank you."  
  
"Don't mention it," Legolas grabbed his silver twin blades and stood in one fluid motion. "Come on. We have to get out of this place in case those snakes decide they want another go at us."  
  
Aragorn groaned slightly as he stood awkwardly, his clothes and dark hair dripping. "Won't argue with you there, Legolas."  
  
With Legolas aiding Aragorn with a steadying hand, they went as quickly along the riverbank as possible with Aragorn in his present state. Legolas kept his longbow in his hands, just in case. Odd sounds issued from the dark wood to their right, but they ignored them and continued on, letting hope dominate. For now anyway.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Legolas, tell me that's a bright light ahead of us or I swear I'll go insane."  
  
Said elf looked up groggily. He had been staring at his feet for a good hour or so - not a very good way of practicing alertness, but weariness was setting in. One eyebrow arched. "By the Valar, I think you're right!"  
  
A little while ahead of them, white-gold rays of sunlight shimmered, a bright contrast to the subdued darkness of the Black Wood. Legolas stepped forward a few paces and stopped, staring. Just beyond that light, he could make out something - something that was assuredly not more trees.  
  
"Estel, I see - I see grass!"  
  
Aragorn's entire being, body and mind, immediately perked up with that statement. His tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth just slightly, he grabbed Legolas' wrist and dragged him forward, urging his legs to move faster. The elf needed no urging. Before three seconds had passed, Legolas grabbed Aragorn's wrist and sprinted off towards the welcoming sight that was so, so close. He could feel the warm sunlight on his skin as they neared it and smell the fresh scent of grass.  
  
Together, Legolas and Aragorn burst through a thin veil of obstructing foliage and into a small stretch of plain. Estel took a moment to survey his surroundings, to gaze admiringly at the river that had turned a clear blue, at the soft sky, at the lush green grass - or rather, it was close enough to grass to be satisfactory. He grinned.  
  
"I never thought weeds looked so good."  
  
Legolas laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Don't get too excited. Do you think we should camp here then?"  
  
Their eyes met briefly.  
  
"Ah-" Aragorn hesitated. "You know what happened the last time we tried to sleep."  
  
"Well, are you tired?" The elf reached behind him and stretched out his back.  
  
"No, not anymore."  
  
"Good, neither am I."  
  
Aragorn paused for a moment and a thoughtful expression appeared on his tan face before he turned to look at his companion. "First, we get attacked by growling balls of fur, then savage snakes, then a mutant guppy. What do you think he'll throw at us next?"  
  
Legolas wrinkled his brow. "I'd rather not think about it. Onward?"  
  
"Onward."  
  
With the dark, eerie woods at their backs and the winding river at their sides, they took their first steps into new territory.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Until next time, then! R&R!! 


End file.
